SPECIAL TO THE VALLEY HARVESTER
KENTVILLE, N.S.
A popular annual rugby tournament will be held in the Valley this month because an early winter storm damaged the venue planned for use.
The Sweetheart 7s Tournament has been held at the East Hants Sportsplex for the last five years. However, a storm in November collapsed the dome that housed indoor sports.
The Enfield Rugby Football Club, which hosts the event, said in a recent news release that although repairs to the Sportsplex will begin soon, they had to find another location for the tournament.
Kyle Cigolotti, director of external relations for the club, told the Harvester in a recent interview tournament organizers reached out to several possible locations. And, despite the short notice, were able to secure a date during the same long weekend in February for the tournament at the Credit Union Rec Complex in Kentville.
The Sweetheart 7s will take place over Sunday, Feb. 16 from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m.
“Indoor space is at a premium during the winter. Trying to find any open time in the winter in Nova Scotia, you have to compete with soccer, football and many other sports,” Cigolotti said.
He said the unexpected change was disappointing, but the club is grateful for the co-operation of the Valley Rugby Union and the Credit Union Rec Complex staff.
“We were more concerned about the trouble the Sportsplex would have to go through. They have been great for us. We knew we would be able to sort out our end, but we were hoping for the best for them. And luckily, they are going to be able to begin repairs there soon.”
The name Sweetheart 7s comes from the tournament being held near Valentine's Day and having seven players from each team on the field at a time instead of the normal 15.
Although the timing of the tournament will be the same, Cigolotti said the format would change.
“Normally, we attract teams from all over the Maritimes with players from all over the world.”
He said there were 28 teams last year, and the playing surface was divided into three fields, so three games could be played at a time. This year, the tournament will be limited to senior men’s and women’s divisions, with limited space in each. Team registration fees are $350.
“Because of the reduced field size, one game will be played at a time this year. So, we had to reduce the number of teams to 12 teams primarily from Nova Scotia,” Cigolotti said. “Every year we have a waiting list of at least 10 teams hoping to get into the tournament. So, it’s quite popular.”
Amy Fraser plays for Enfield RFC and has been playing rugby for 14 years. She has played in the off-season tournament every year.
“I look forward to the tournament. It’s a good opportunity to get you excited for the upcoming rugby season,” Fraser said during an interview. “You get to be around a good group of rugby people for the first time in a while. There’s always a good spirit in the tournament with lots of friendly competition. We are excited that we get to come to the valley and use the facilities there to play some rugby.”
Cigolotti said more information about the Sweetheart 7s Rugby tournament is available at www.enfieldrfc.ca or [email protected].
